| Main Entry: | mitigation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | alleviation |
Synonyms: |
cure, extenuation, moderation, reduction, relief, remission |
| Main Entry: | apology |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | offering of remorse, regret |
Synonyms: |
acknowledgment, admission, amends, atonement, concession, confession, defense, excuse, explanation, extenuation, justification, mea culpa, mitigation, plea, redress, reparation, vindication |
Antonyms: |
accusation, censure, charge, complaint, condemnation, criticism, defiance, indictment |
| Main Entry: | appeasement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | satisfaction; pacification |
Synonyms: |
abatement, acceding, accommodation, adjustment, alleviation, amends, assuagement, blunting, compromise, concession, conciliation, easing, grant, lessening, lulling, mitigation, moderation, mollification, peace offering, placation, propitiation, quelling, quenching, quieting, reconciliation, reparation, restoration, settlement, softening, solace, soothing, tranquilization |
Antonyms: |
aggravation, annoyance, irritation, provocation, resistance |
| Main Entry: | balm |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | something soothing |
Synonyms: |
alleviation, anodyne, assuagement, comfort, consolation, curative, cure, easement, mitigation, palliative, refreshment, relief, remedy, restorative, solace, soother |
| Main Entry: | excuse |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, explanation |
Synonyms: |
alibi, apology, cleanup, cop-out, cover story, cover*, coverup, defense, disguise, evasion, expedient, extenuation, fish story, grounds, jive, justification, makeshift, mitigation, plea, pretext, rationalization, regrets, routine, semblance, shift, song and dance, song*, stall, stopgap, story, substitute, subterfuge, trick*, vindication, whitewash, why and wherefore |
| Notes: | an alias is an assumed name, an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed, while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness a pardon is the act of excusing a mistake or offense; an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness |
| Main Entry: | explanation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | clarification; reason |
Synonyms: |
account, annotation, answer, breakdown, brief, cause, comment, commentary, confession, definition, demonstration, description, details, display, elucidation, evidence, example, excuse, explication, exposition, expression, gloss, history, illustration, information, interpretation, justification, meaning, mitigation, motive, narration, note, recital, rendition, report, resolution, sense, showing, significance, specification, statement, story, summary, tale, talking, telling, vindication, writing |
Antonyms: |
complication |
| Main Entry: | justification |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, excuse |
Synonyms: |
absolution, account, acquittal, advocacy, answer, apologia, apology, approval, argument, basis, confirmation, defense, exculpation, exoneration, explanation, extenuation, grounds, idea, mitigation, palliation, palliative, plea, pretext, raison d'être, rationale, rationalization, rebuttal, redemption, reply, response, salvation, sanctification, song and dance, story, support, validation, vindication, warrant, whatfor, wherefore, whitewashing, whole idea, why and wherefore |
| Main Entry: | plea |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | excuse, defense |
Synonyms: |
action, alibi, allegation, apology, argument, cause, claim, cop-out, explanation, extenuation, fish tale, justification, mitigation, out, palliation, pleading, pretext, rationalization, right, song and dance, story, vindication, whitewash |
Antonyms: |
decision, sentence |
| Main Entry: | relaxation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | entertainment; resting or recovering |
Synonyms: |
alleviation, amusement, assuagement, diversion, enjoyment, fun, leisure, loosening, mitigation, pleasure, reclining, recreation, refreshment, relief, repose, requiescence, rest |
Antonyms: |
intensification, labor, work |
| Main Entry: | relief |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | remedy, aid; relaxation |
Synonyms: |
abatement, allayment, alleviation, amelioration, appeasement, assistance, assuagement, balm, break, breather, cheer, comfort, comforting, consolation, contentment, cure, deliverance, diversion, ease, easement, extrication, fix, hand, happiness, help, letup, lift, lightening, load off one's mind, maintenance, mitigation, mollification, palliative, quick fix, refreshment, release, remission, reprieve, respite, rest, restfulness, satisfaction, softening, solace, succor, support, sustenance |
Antonyms: |
damage, hurt, injury, pain |